Unwinding device



C. E. WEBBER.

UNWINDING DEVICE- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. 1911 Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

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UNWINDING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. 1917.

Patented Mar. 2,1920.

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u r\ l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL E. WEBBER, OF SACO, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO SACO-LOWELL SHOPS, OFBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

UNWINDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

- Application filed June 4, 1917. Serial No. 172,601.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, CARL E. WEBBER, of Saco, in the county of YorkandState of Maine, a citizen of the United States, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Unwinding Devices, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part'of this specification, inexplaining its nature.

The present invention relates to a device or arrangement whereby threador yarn may be withdrawn or unwound from a package with a substantiallyconstant tension, and is especially designed in accordance with theessential object of my invention, to make possible a proper tensionalcontrol of yarn unwound from a freely rotatable package by means of alateral or side draw and this, moreover, irrespective of the form ofsuch package or manner of wind thereon.

It is my further object by my invention to improve the spooler, socalled, where yarn is drawn laterally from a cop or bobbin and woundonto a spool, by eliminating the usual type of holder for the cop orbobbin, which has many disadvantages, and in place employing an ordinarytype of rotary spindle which may be used under all circumstances.

My invention can best be seen and understood by reference to thedrawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spindle and cop orpackage thereon together with the attachment comprising my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of certain of the structuralparts of which reference will hereinafter be made.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1, but withthe bobbin removed.

Fig. 1 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1 with the bobbin removed.

Referring to the drawings 1 represents the base of a spindle having aflange-forming end portion or head 2. 3 is the spindle blade which turnswithm the base 1 in the usual manner. 4 is the whirl fixed to the blade.5 is a yarn package, cop or bobbin carried by the spindle. The spindleincluding the base is supported as follows 6 is a plate or castingforming both a support for parts presently to be referred to and also aclamp member. 7 is the other clamp member. The base 1 of the spindlepasses through both of these clamp members with the head 2 thereofbearing against the clamp member or plate 6. Arranged upon the body ofthe spindle is a nut 8 which bears against the clamp member 7 and isretained by a keeper 9. The clamp members 6 and 7 are preformed to clamponto a stud or post 10 which forms a part of the machine (not shown) inconnection with which the spindle is used. When the nut 8 is tightenedits bearing against the clamp member 7 will draw the head 2 against theclamp member 6 thereby securing the base portion of the spindle to theplate 6, and by the drawing to ether of the clamp members. fixing boththis plate and also the base of the spindle to the post 10. I

Fixed to the plate or casting 6 below the spindle is a rod 11. This rodextends forward from the plate 6 in substantial parallel alinement withthe blade and beyond the end of the yarn package thereon. At its outerend the rod is turned upwardly and laterally by a bend12 and thenceprojects inwardly by an extension 13 which is parallel with the initialextension 11 of the rod and accordingly with the blade of the spindle.The extension of the part 13 of the rod is to a point beyond the innerend of the yarn package.

The rod 11 is mounted to be adjustable extensibly, rotatably andlaterally. For this purpose the inner end of the rod extends throughaslot 1 1 out in the plate or casting 6. The end of the rod so extendingis threaded, and arranged thereon on opposite sides of the plate 6 arenuts 15 and suitably interposed washers 16. The rod is fixed to theplate in any adjusted position simply by the successive operation ofloosening and tightening the nuts 15.

Mounted to turn upon the rod 11 acting as a support is a swivel member18. This is held from endwise displacement by crosspins 19. Fasteninginto the head of this swivel member is a drop wire 20. This wire extendsthrough an opening tapped within the swivel head and is secured to it bymeans of binding screws 21. The swivel is arranged about the center ofthe rod 11 and from the swivel the wire extends by a portion 22 havingan upward and backward inclination to a point beyond'the inner end ofthe yarn package. There the wire is provided with a bend 23 from whichit projects with a forward extension 24 in parallel alinement with therod 11 and spindle blade. The portion 24 of the wire projects forwardbeyond the end of the yarn package from which point the wire is againbent to form a turned end or hook 25.

Arranged to bear against the whirl is a brake 26. This brake is borne bya hub '27 arranged to turn upon a post or stud 28 fixed to the plate orcasting 6. The brake is controlled by an arm 29 secured to the hub 27and in which connection it will be observed by reference to Figs. 3 and4 that the brake and its controlling arm, both borne by the connectinghub 27, have the general form of a bell crank lever. That portion of thebrake which bears against the whirl is lined with raw-hide 30 or otherfriction-producing material.

The further relative arrangement, adaptation and operation of the partsis as follows The form, disposition and pivotal support of the drop wireis such that the portion 24 of the wire will turn upon an arc toward andaway from the package or cop. Its normal tendency will be to gravitateand fall away from the yarn package or cop owing to the fact that thewire together with the head of the swivel to which it is secured willoverbalance the opposing portion of the swivel. Such opposing portion ofthe swivel is, however, so weighted that the overbalance of the dropwire is relatively slight. The form and arrangement of the drop wire is,also, such that the end portion 23 of the wire will be brought to bearagainst the arm 29 of the brake for lifting the brake into aninoperative position when the drop wire is elevated by movement in thegeneral direction of the cop, the movement being stopped by theengagement of the wire with the hub 27 after the arm has been turnedslightly. Proper positioning of the drop wire is obtained by theadjustable positioning of the rod 11 upon which it is mounted, thisbeing obtained as before explained.

. In the operation of the device the thread a will draw from the packageover the extension 13 of the rod 11, thence will pass upwardly beneaththe portion 24 of the drop wire. During the unwinding of the yarn thespindle and package borne by it will be rotated and the frictionalresistance of the spindle to such unwinding will exert tension upon theyarn, assuming that the unwinding does not unduly accelerate the speedof rotation of the spindle and assuming, also, that the draw upon theyarn is substantially constant. The draw of the yarn being thusresisted, the resultant tensional efi'ect thereon will overcome thetendency of the drop wire to gravitate away from the bobbin, andconsequently the wire will be raised and drawn toward the package untilthe end 23 thereof engages the arm 29 of the brake and thereupon by suchengagement the brake will be lifted to an inoperative position inrelation to the whirl and so maintained as long as the engagement 7continues. Accordingly the spindle will be permitted to' freely rotatethough tending to exert tension upon the yarn by reason of itsfrictional resistance, that is, as long as no undue acceleration of thespindle is obtained and it continues to rotate at a normal speed. When,however, the motion of the spindle is accelerated, as it is acceleratedwhen the yarn is pulling ofl those portions of the package of lesserdiameter than other portions thereby causing the spindle to race attimes, then the ensuing slack upon the yarn, assuming the draw upon theyarn to continue constant, will permit the drop wire to gravitate awayfrom the arm 24 which allows the brake to resume its normal position andengage the whirl, thereby ofiering added resistance to prevent undueacceleration of the spindle and restoring it to its normal speed ofrotation, when the action will again elevate the drop wire and move thebrake into its inactive or passive position.

The action of the brake is obviously intermittent, the brake acting onlywhen occasion requires. Moreover, the action is a quick action, therebeing very little perceptible movement in the brake and drop wire, theirentire operation being attended simply by a slight flutter or vibrationof these parts, evidencing the sensitiveness of the device. Theresulting eifect is that the spindle will be controlled to operate at asubstantially constant or normal rate of speed consistent with the drawupon the yarn, and accordingly the yarn will be withdrawn with asubstantially constant tension, and no slack will ensue, all slack beinginstantly taken up. I

During the unwinding of the yarn it will vibrate backward and forwardbeneath the wire 24 depending as it draws from different portions of thecop or package, and the yarn is kept from running off the end of thewire 24 at any time by means of the hook 25 on the end of this wire. Therod extension 13 is also useful during the operation of the parts inproviding a support and guide for the yarn in its passage to the dropwire especially when slack occurs in the yarn owingto acceleration inthe. rotary speed of the spindle.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States 4 1. In a device of the characterspecified,

the combination comprising a spindle mounted whereby it may be rotatedby the pull of yarn drawn laterally from a package carried by thespindle, a releasable .normally active brake for controlling the rotaryspeed of the spindle, a drop wire normally main tained to exert nooperative influence upon said brake, and means for mounting said dropwire whereby the yarn drawn from the package will elevate said wire toengage said brake and thereby render the same inactive, and wherebyalso, the dropping of the wire released by the yarn will release saidbrake to become active.

2. In a device of the character specified, the combination comprising aspindle mounted whereby it may be rotated by the pull of yarn drawnlaterally from a package carried by the spindle, a releasable normallyactive gravity actuated brake for controlling the rotary speed of thespindle, said brake having an arm by which it may be moved into aposition where the brake is inactive, means for pivotally mounting saidbrake, a drop wire normally maintained to exert no operative influenceupon said brake, and means for mounting said drop wire whereby the yarndrawn from the package will elevate said wire to engage said arm andthereby render the brake inactive, and whereby, also, the dropping ofthe wire released by the yarn will release the brake to become active.

3. In a device of the character specified, the combination comprising aspindle having a whirl and which spindle is mounted whereby it mayberotated by the pull of yarn laterally wound from a package carried bythe spindle, a releasable normally active friction brake, means forpivotally mounting said brake whereby it may engage said whirl, saidbrake having an arm by which it may be moved to a position out ofengagement with said whirl, a drop wire normally maintained to exert nooperative influence upon said brake, and means for mounting said dropwire whereby the yarn drawn from the package will, elevate said wire toengage said arm and thereby render the brake inactive, and whereby,also, the dropping of the wire released by the yarn will release thebrake to become active.

4. In a device of the character specified, the combination comprising aspindle mounted whereby it may be rotated by the pull of yarn drawnlaterally from a package carried by the spindle, a releasable normallyactive brake for controlling the speed of the spindle, said brake havingan arm extending from it by which it may be turned to and maintained ina disengaging position, a drop wire extending by said arm whereby it mayhave direct engagement therewith, said wire extending also by saidspindle and package thereon whereby the yarn unwinding from the spindlemay pass beneath said wire, means for mounting said drop wire whereby itmay be elevated by the draw of the yarn against it to engage said armand thereby elevate and maintain said brake in a disengaging position,and whereby also said drop wire will be permitted to drop by gravityreleasing said brake to become ac tive when the tension upon the yarn islessened by undue acceleration of the rotary speed of the spindle.

5. In a device of the character specified, the combination comprising arotary spindle arranged whereby it may be rotated by the pull of yarndrawn laterally from a package carried by the spindle, said spindlehaving a blade, a whirl carried by the blade and a base in which theblade is mounted to rotate, a fixture for supporting said spindle byconnection with the base thereof, a normally active friction brakepivotally arranged to occupy an engaging or disengaging position withrelation to said whirl, said brake having an arm by which it may beturned, means for pivotally supporting said brake, a drop wire beneathwhich the yarn passes as it is unwound from the package and which wireis normally maintained to exert no operative influence upon said brake,a support for said drop wire, means for fixing said support, and meansfor pivotally mounting said drop wire on said support whereby the wiremay be elevated by the draw of the. yarn against it to engage said armand thereby move said brake into a disengaging position, and whereby,also, the drop wire will be permitted to drop, releasing said brake tobecome active when the tension upon the yarn is lessened by undueacceleration of the rotary speed of the spindle.

6. In a device of the character specified, a spindle arranged whereby itmay be rotated by the pull of yarn drawn laterally from a packagecarried by the spindle, a normally active brake for controlling thespeed of the spindle, said brake having an arm by which it may be turnedto and maintained in a disengaging position, means for mounting saidbrake to occupy an engaging or disengaging position with relation tosaid spindle, a drop wire extending in part by said arm whereby it mayhave direct engagement with it, said wire. extending also by saidspindle and package thereon substantially parallel therewith whereby theyarn unwinding from the spindle may pass beneath said wire, a fixedsupporting rod for said drop wire, said fixed rod having a turned endextending by said spindle and package thereon substantially paralleltherewith and over which turned end of the fixed rod the yarn passesbefore passing beneath said drop wire, and means for pivotally securingsaid drop wire to its supporting rod whereby it may be turned thereonand control said brake, depending upon the tension upon the arm.

, 7. In a device of the character specified, a spindle arranged wherebyit may be rotated by the pull of yarn drawn laterally from a packagecarried by the spindle, a normally active gravity actuated brake forcontrolling the rotary speed of the spindle, means for mounting saidbrake to occupy an engaging or disengaging position in relation to saidspindle, a drop wire beneath which the yarn passes as it is unwound fromthe package and Which wire is normally maintained to exert no operatlveinfluence upon said brake, said wire belng arranged also whereby it maybe lifted by the pull of the yarn and engage said brake and move it intoa disengaging position, and maintain it in such position during theordinary and normal running of the spindle, a fixed support for saiddrop wire, and a weighted swivel forming member pivotally mounted uponsaid support and to which the drop wire is secured.

CARL E. WEBBER.

